


Digging Up the Truth

by twitch



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dead People, Descent into Madness, Explicit Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Post-Canon, Reanimation, Snoke is a Sick Bastard, Unfortunate Implications, strange happenings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-22 22:48:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11390022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twitch/pseuds/twitch
Summary: Growing up Kylo searched for his single place, the one core centre to hold onto. Snoke gave him security, the title of Master of the Knights of Ren. It was a temporary place until he discovered he could make one with Hux.The Finalizer may have been destroyed but Hux found a new home with him in the Citadel.Just how secure that place is is in question.





	Digging Up the Truth

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by a prompt from Kylux Cantina (Theme: Truth and Lies - Prompt: "When the truth is found to be lies. And all the joy within you dies. Don’t you want somebody to love?") but since my ideas for the prompt jumped into the deep end of crazy I decided it might be better posted here. There is major character death, the death referenced to but not explicitly detailed. There is a dead body involved. The tags are up there for a reason. 
> 
> If you're willing to brave most of the fic, but not get into the sordid parts, you can jump out when Hux enters the throne room. The madness of the Sick Bastard known as Snoke starts there.

For so long he felt like he didn’t have one single place, one core centre to hold onto. As a child he fought in his own body to be able to control himself, the powers untrained and powerful for someone too young. To separate his own inner voice from the one that spoke to him, reassuring and loving him when his parents didn’t.

His parents couldn’t provide a single place for him. If it was up to his father he would’ve been with him, flying from one planet to another, chasing jobs and money. In the end it was his mother who had her way. She moved wherever her career demanded it. The few children he made friends with were quickly forgotten in a year or two, strangers again.

Finally getting the opportunity to control his powers he should’ve found a home with his uncle and the young hopefuls who dreamed of becoming Jedi. Except he never felt more out of place than when he was around his own kind. He understood the need to not play favouritism, he didn’t like it but he forced himself to accept it. Yet none of the other children made the effort to accept him, having their own cliques, pointedly leaving him out. It was only the Voice who provided comfort to him.

It was always the Voice, his Master, the Supreme Leader who gave him a place, somewhere he could be himself. In his training he felt a sense of belonging. As the Master of the Knights of Ren he had a place where he could lead. Lord Snoke gave him what he wanted.

Even among the stars, living on the Finalizer, a sense of home and place was a tenuous thing, there but unable to grasp. He had a Co-Commander to work alongside. At least that was the intention. It was impossible to work with a man who wouldn’t give an inch to him. Giving him only snide looks and commentary.

His missions took him into every corner of the known galaxy, sometimes beyond. He was a drifter, relishing in his ability to not have anything tying him down. He was the intangible, nebulous, unable to be contained. His powers were formidable and untouchable, eluded by everyone unless they were the targets of his wrath. 

Until Starkiller fired. The centre of the Republic destroyed in a matter of seconds. The girl who he captured, who he should’ve controlled, manipulated powers and a lightsaber that was rightfully his.

Cores were shattered, along with egos that were far more fragile than appearances suggested. 

His place, a mental inner peace that never was peaceful to begin with, but solid enough to give him the strength and drive to persevere, cracked like the fissure on his face. It burned like the cracks of Starkiller, threatening to pull him down along with a man who he thought was unflappable. 

Rebuilding all that was destroyed was a timely effort, beliefs and structure reconstructed with missions and training. Lord Snoke was merciful towards his weakness, and he’d never be able to convey or express the gratitude and servitude for which he owed his Master. It was the time spent aboard the Finalizer, re-ordering and restructuring the Troops, regaining control, that showed he was missing a vital piece of the puzzle.

Physically he found his place, strengthening his body, the vessel, and the powers that he contained.

It was reassuring words where snide comments used to exist. It was working together, side-by-side, two powerful minds collaborating. The mental connection to his Master never faltered but it was a very long time since he had a friend, someone who hadn’t moved on in a matter of years. That mental connection of a friendship was something that he grabbed hold of, refusing to let go.

The brush of lips hadn’t been planned, and he was ready to recoil as soon as he did it, but Hux had latched onto him, arms around shoulders pulling him back in to do it properly.

And though the Finalizer, his favourite place in all the worlds, came to a fiery demise, he didn’t shed tears for long. His summons to his Master forced an unmovable front upon his face. He remained unflinching even when Hux came walking out of the shadows from the right of Snoke’s throne.

He didn’t question why Hux wasn’t transferred to a position of bureaucracy or to a different Starship. He set up a base of operations within the Citadel, meetings done by holo-calls, relaying battle strategy to the ships and Troops involved. When he arrived back from his missions it was never an issue of whether they’d miss each other in the busy day-to-day lives of military operations. Nightfall would find them in his bed curled around each other, sweaty and bodies still flushed.

If in the drafty Citadel Hux felt any bit colder than normal Kylo didn’t hesitate to pull him in tighter, rubbing stiff arms until they softened their hold.

Pressing a kiss against the pale skin he would drift back to sleep.

*

Waking up to find himself alone in bed his eyes wandered over his quarters. The lack of decoration and furnishings made it easy to locate Hux, perched on the rough edge of the window, watching the sky lighten to a mauve with the rising sun.

“You’re up early,” he murmured once he was behind him, rubbing stiff shoulders. The light was coming in at an angle from the window that he could see Hux’s face before his torso pressed against his cold back.

Long seconds later Hux blinked, reaching a hand up for one of his. “I’ve got a busy day.”

“To talk to the sun?” Obviously there hadn’t been that much a rush seeing Hux hadn’t dressed.

Turning to a stand Hux smirked. “I was waiting on you first.”

“I’m here now.” Sly hands slid down, thumbs dipping past waist to graze at thick ginger hair.

“But now I’m late.” Slipping past him, but not without a tilted head to glance back, Hux shrugged his shoulder. “I guess you’ll have to wait for later.”

*

Later turned out to be several days later. Capturing a Resistance cell resulted in the destruction of their base and the demise of many rebels. The re-structuring of the Stormtrooper program was a clear success when all marks were taken down and only a handful of Stormtroopers were killed in the firefight. It was only one reason to celebrate, the second and most important being back with Hux, who he tugged on top of him without pulling out.

His grunts and sharp cries were but forgotten, silenced by the headboard banging against the stone wall. Hux’s face blanked entirely, the thrill and passion of taking him and being taken hard replaced by absolutely nothing. He grabbed harder at Hux, squeezing his ass between his hands to drag him down, but he remained unresponsive. “Hux? Hux!”

He snapped out of it, a jolt of their bodies bringing them scrabbling for purchase, nails raking along thighs and ribs. Gasping and shuddering, wrenching his hips to drag nails deeper and pull a growl out of him underneath, Hux panted out a laugh, grinding down again. “Harder… deeper, like you’re going to kill me, a Rebel felled by your…” Twisting and bending in he shuddered with the twist of his body. “-saber.”

Lunging up, locking Hux with his arms, he grinned through the bloodlust, recalling one such rebel who sputtered underneath him, clothes and skin charred where he pierced him through. Furor driving them, Hux wailing like a wounded man, they remained upright but for a few seconds until they were pushed down the opposite way, thrusts nearly forcing Hux far enough back for his head to dip entirely off the bed. 

Wishing he could’ve seen the blood of his victim, the flush on their bodies a poor substitute, he pushed into Hux’s folded body, his knees tight against his chest, heels a dull throbbing in his back as he dug in, pushing up and crying with each thrust. A stab, a jerking motion that found it’s mark over and over.

Hux’s shout continued to ring in his ear minutes later, their hands soothing sweaty flesh. He went to nuzzle into Hux’s neck but he playfully pushed him to roll onto his back, crawling down his body to lick up the seed that dribbled out, clinging to his softening cock.

*

He couldn’t get enough. He knew it was impossible but it felt like something got under his skin when Hux clawed him the night before. Awakening him with a blow job then taking him again, a slower but no less intense experience, he searched him out, knowing that he would be in the room allotted to be his office within the Citadel. His desk was unoccupied but a holo-map stood in the centre, marked with planets known as Resistance strongholds and where various starships were currently stationed.

Hux stood observing the map, clearly not hearing his entrance. Kylo chose to wait, not wanting to disturb him at work. 

He cocked his head when he realised Hux wasn’t moving at all. Not wanting to startle him he spoke, not too loud to startle. “Do you need help?”

Hux didn’t respond.

“Hux?” Raising his voice a fraction more he waited a few more seconds before stepping forward.

Hux only moved when his hand grazed his shoulder. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Lost in… thought.”

“Deep thoughts.” Keeping his hand on his shoulder he stepped to stand to his left, looking over the map. A glance showed Hux’s critical face. He knew that look, used to be on the receiving end of it many times, yet he didn’t see the little lines that should’ve creased the outer corners of his eyes. “You look… could you do with my assistance?”

“No, I shouldn’t be longer here.” Fingers motioned through the air, zooming in on one of the planets, drawing up a text window with known data on the Resistance operations concerning that base. “I just need to assign the properly qualified, and equipped, ship and squadron to take out this base.”

“Then you will be free?” Kylo couldn’t help himself, sliding his fingers in and up, gently scraping at the sensitive hairs of his hairline along his neck.

A smirk threatened to curl at Hux’s lips, schooled quickly while Hux motioned to look over each starship’s credentials. “And what do you have in mind?”

Kylo murmured, feigning uncertainty, even if it was a deliberate move to bring them flush together, side by side. “Do you want to know now, or after you’ve finished?”

“I might get too distracted if you tell me now,” Hux countered, relaxing against him.

“After then.”

*

He woke to a whisper. At first he thought it was a part of his dream, albeit a dream that didn’t have any imagery, let alone fluid or abstract shapes to suggest his mind was attempting any kind of visual. The voice started on the edge of his sleeping mind, lingering when his eyelids fluttered. Continued when he blearily opened his eyes, taking in the familiar shadows of the room, the shape of Hux in his arms.

The cold body in his bed.

Moving back a few inches he didn’t realise just how much he was providing the support for Hux to lie on his side. Spooned up behind him Hux tilted back towards him. He stilled entirely, catching Hux by his hip.

The arm that was braced in front of him, hand on the mattress, remained fixed where it was, not moving with the movement of his own hand on his body. The only word that came to mind to describe it was rigid, not the heaviness of a slumbering man that ought to be pliant to the touch. He took Hux’s wrist in his hand, the lack of give of skin under his fingertips alarming.

His eyes were wide when Hux rolled with him when he scurried back, glassy blue eyes watching him. Hux bit back a yawn, blinking to try to clear his vision. “Are you alright?”

Kylo swallowed before nodding. “I think I was having a nightmare.”

Moving towards him, fingers coming up to his cheek, a calming cool rather than the cold he had been, Hux stroked up towards his temples, smoothing hair into submission. “Let me take care of that for you.”

Dry lips pressed against his cheek while the fingers continued to untangle. Kylo reached up to take his hand into his own, pulse subsiding when skin smoothed against each other. “You always do a good job at that,” Kylo murmured, shifting their hands to kiss Hux’s knuckles.

“Only for you.” Hux took the turn to guide their hands, sliding his to rest on the slight dip of his waist.

The voice of his dream faded away, forgotten, his eyes drifting back shut.

*

Yet it returned. A soft rasp that woke him, flowing over into wakefulness and ebbing into Hux’s voice while he stroked his cheek, waking him up. Washed away entirely when Hux took him into their refresher, going down on him before washing him.

They ate together until Hux excused himself to take care of a meeting.

A few minutes later it whispered.

_Please_

It was too low to be distinguishable beyond knowing the rasp was a man’s voice. Whether it was a stranger or someone he knew he couldn’t tell.

_Kylo_

Not wanting to speak aloud, knowing he didn’t need to, he let his thoughts drift towards it. ‘Do I know you?’

_Don’t believe him_

Spoon forgotten in his hand Kylo pursed his lips. ‘Who?’

The summons from Snoke silenced it.

He rose, leaving his unfinished breakfast to put away later.

*

It turned out he had a mission. If the dossier was to be believed it was going to take a couple of weeks. Information gathering and laying of the land where an ancient Sith Temple was purported to once occupy. While it was routine to not hear from Hux while he was away on mission, both having their jobs to perform, those two weeks he missed his voice horribly. He did report back to Snoke as needed, updating him with what he found, being relayed new instructions. Mission completed to Snoke’s satisfaction, and an artefact carefully wrapped and brought to the Citadel, he was eager to find out what secrets and powers they would find.

He had all but forgotten Hux until he returned to his quarters. 

Hux was in bed. It wasn’t a late hour and Kylo had returned only to shower before collecting Hux from his office. Normally Hux would’ve worked for another two hours before they had dinner together. 

It was opening his mouth to address him, to wake him up, that had him gagging. Why he hadn’t smelled the rotting stench when he first entered? He sputtered on his ragged breath, backing up and jostling the side table to knock over the chronometer.

Hux stirred, turning his head in his direction on the pillow, eyes opening blearily.

The smell dissipated quickly. Like it never had been there. Except his lungs were still heaving in protest.

“Kylo, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon,” Hux murmured while sitting up. While it was uncommon for him to nap during the day when he did he usually kept his vest on. Right now he was bare down to the sleeping pants dipped low on his waist, what he normally wore to sleep in for the night while he was away on missions.

Joining him on the bed he placed his hand on his forehead, not feeling a fever. Still he worried, Hux clearly been asleep since the night before. “Are you feeling okay?”

Hux ducked his head, not enough to evade his hand, looking chastened. “I stayed up late last night working, more than I should’ve considering I had an early meeting. I went back to sleep when I got back but slept longer than I should have.”

“Have you eaten at all today?” When Hux shook his head Kylo pulled back the sheets entirely. “How about we get a light dinner and have a quiet night. One day shouldn’t off set your routine too much but we’ll go to bed mostly around our usual time.”

“If you don’t mind me reading some of the reports that I should’ve done today,” Hux mentioned once they were both standing. 

“I’m sure we’ll find an agreement,” Kylo commented, walking towards their shared wardrobe to pull out clean clothes for them.

*

He breathed him in, the clean scent of skin that was slowly dampened by the salt of their actions. He buried his nose into Hux’s hair, nuzzling before tugging on his ear with his teeth, getting another moan for his efforts. 

His fingers were already sticky, having been stroking Hux’s cock, but he pinched his nipple, rolling it and coating it with precum. 

Hux arched back into him with the pinch, meeting the slow thrust of his hips. He was so pliant in his arms, alive and brilliant in the sounds and colours that spilled out from him.

He moved down to bite at his pulse but he overshot his mark when Hux threw his head back, gasping as their bodies met in perfect synchronicity.

_Please_

Yet it wasn’t Hux’s voice that throbbed in his head. Hux was babbling aloud when he had pulled him upright, his hands on the headboard providing the balance to hold them mostly steady. One hand curled away, grabbing at his thigh as he rocked harder into him.

“Kylo, please,” Hux moaned, nails sinking into his hip. He snapped forward at the silent command bringing forth a pleased cry. “Yes, there. Harder.”

_Gentle_

Sated and lying on top of Hux, kissing over his shoulders before turning him over, licking his nipple clean, he cast a glance up through his dark eyelashes, a long languid suck. He supposed Hux was looking at him, gaze faraway, but a flicker of the light on the bedside cast his face into shadow, complexion muted for several seconds before returning to its rosy glow.

“I feel like there’s something…” Kylo stopped, realising that he what he wanted to say sounded foolish. Hux’s pressing look made him finish though, but not without putting his lips down on Hux’s chest, feeling his breath slowed down to it’s normal rate. “Different – about you.”

“I’m still the same,” Hux reassured him, thumb against his cheekbone. “I’m still yours.”

Kylo snorted under his breath, smiling despite himself. “And that’s all that matters?”

Hux gently eased his head closer, fingers guiding him by the jaw. “Shouldn’t it?” 

Meeting the kiss Kylo nodded, in answer and to claim him deeper.

*

He dreamt. Like all his recent dreams, ever since Hux had joined him at the Citadel, he couldn’t grasp a visual of what should’ve been there. It was just the noises, battle-fire of guns and cannons from a fully-equipped starship. Shouts of orders and the wounded and killed shot through his sleep, never rousing him entirely. 

Jerking awake at last when a familiar voice shrieked in his ears, searching to ensure Hux’s safety, he grasped onto his solid body, hands gentle despite his presence telling him he was unharmed.

Despite the cold ashen skin.

A body heavy and unmoving in his hold.

Despite himself he ducked his head down, taking a slow breath in.

He barely picked up a foul smell when Hux stirred, breathing out to make himself comfortable, moving away from his dark hair tickling his neck.

When he pulled back all he could detect was the smell of their shared shampoo.

His dreams were strange enough, could they be part of the reason why his sense of smell was off?

Frowning Kylo settled back down behind him, smoothing his hand through Hux’s hair.

Yet when he woke up with a jolt the image in his mind was fresh, Hux trying to bat away skeleton hands that should’ve been weak and feeble. They were not to be deterred, battering away Hux’s arms, unflinching when Hux managed to strike them, gaping and shouting words that he couldn’t hear.

It was his own shout that woke up Hux. He wrapped him up in his arms, stroking his back and his head, murmuring soft words until he calmed down. 

“It’s okay, you’re safe,” Hux reassured him.

“But it was you,” he emphasised, gently taking Hux’s hands into his own, levering himself up away from where his head had been resting against his shoulder. “Someone was hurting you.”

“No one has hurt me. I’m safe.” Hux tightened his hands, squeezing his fingers. “I’m right here with you.”

He surged forward to take him in a kiss, only gentling when Hux stroked his hands up to his arms. “I’ll always keep you safe.”

Hux’s lips twitched but he gave him one last peck before pressing their foreheads together. “I know.”

_No you can’t_

*

His next mission should’ve had him out for a week. Working longer hours meant that he was back in five days. He rushed back into the Citadel, intending to find Hux. Except he didn’t know where to find him. The time of day told him he should go to his office. However, considering the last time he returned, he might be wiser to go to their quarters. He stood at the cross-point of the corridors, left taking him in the direction of their quarters, right the shorter route to the office. 

Deciding there was no harm to look in the office, since it was the closest, he began to turn.

The voice that spoke in his head was not a low rasp but the familiar tones of Snoke, demanding his presence in his throne room.

Several minutes later, on bended knee before Snoke, he waited for his Master to motion him to stand.

“I am pleased that you finished your mission as swiftly as you did. I look forward to hearing a full report to ensure that you’ve accomplished what we both need.”

“Yes Supreme Leader,” Kylo replied, nodding his head.

“And yet…” Kylo hadn’t lifted his head from his nod, leaving him to glance up through his hair to his Master when he continued. “Your urgency, was it inspired by the want to accomplish your goals and grow stronger? Or did you have someone who you wished to see as soon as possible?”

Kylo pushed his cheeks out with held in breath, retaining words that he wasn’t sure were what Snoke wanted to hear. “My goal – has always been to grow stronger. To defeat all opposing Force users, Jedi or otherwise, and to aid in the destruction of the Republic and all who support it, Resistance included. It has always been a goal that has been accomplished best with the aid of the First Order. I wanted to make the next move as soon as possible, and to plot that move I would need to see you and General Hux.”

“So seeing General Hux was only an issue of making the next move against the Republic,” Snoke replied, echoing his words to confirm. Kylo nodded, silent, watching as Snoke tapped his long fingers on the arm of his throne. “Were you going to make those plans in bed?”

He worked his jaw, knowing better than to laugh, suppressing the sarcasm that he might’ve used against Hux. “Work is better done in the Office Supreme Leader. The bed is for when we’ve already accomplished our goals for the day.”

“I wouldn’t want Hux to be the cause of any distraction for you, not when we have important moves to make against the Resistance and the Republic.” 

“Work comes before…” He felt like a child saying such a word before his Master, even though he was a grown man and they were talking candidly about the nature of their relationship. “Pleasure.” 

If Snoke had any eyebrows he was sure he would’ve had one arched down to him. “Has it?” 

“Always.”

Settling back into his throne Snoke studied him intently. “I see.”

“Supreme Leader.” Kylo straightened up at hearing Hux’s voice, just to his right and behind. He hadn’t heard him enter but his light tread may have been undetected while he and Snoke spoke. “You summoned me?” Hux asked.

“I wish to ask about the nature of your relationship with Kylo Ren.”

Kylo turned to look at Hux properly, almost gaping, before looking back to Snoke, watching them both expectantly. Hux hesitated only for a short breath before speaking. “Supreme Leader – we have never felt the need to hide anything, but we keep things on a professional level. What we do in our spare time is in our spare time. Priorities have never changed. We wouldn’t do anything that would deter from the end goal.”

There was no need to add anything that he hadn’t already said, matching Hux’s resolute look with one of his own. He merely had to school his features harder to not show nerves when Snoke cocked his head.

They all stood in silence until Snoke spoke. “Good.”

The wave of his hand Kylo took as dismissal. Normally he would dictate their leave but occasionally he would gesture them out silently. Kylo turned around, waiting to give Hux a relieved smile once their backs were to Snoke, but when he took a step towards the throne room doors Hux crumbled to the ground.

He was crouched down beside him in an instant, pulling him up to ensconce him in his arms, shaking him carefully. Hux didn’t move or make any noises, only seeming to grow heavier, head a rolling weight on his shoulder. “Hux, wake up!” 

“I’m afraid you are far too attached to the General, regardless if you consider him a distraction or not,” Snoke commented, standing up from his throne.

Kylo clutched tighter at Hux though he sharply looked up, watching Snoke walk towards him. “What have you done to him? You – you’ve brought him into the Citadel, let him work, to show how prioritised he is after the Starkiller and continues to be for the First Order. You’re hurting him now! After all the times he’s proved how invaluable he is? Why?” he demanded.

Snoke shook his head slowly. His features were normally a calm or bored front, accustomed to giving the directions that brought success to all that he wanted, but this time those thin lips twisted into something that resembled a smirk. “Now? I’ve already hurt him, long ago.”

He shook, shoulders and jaw, trying not to jostle Hux in the process as the fury within fought to break free. “What have you done to him?”

Snoke gestured down with his hand again, smirk curling up more. “Look for yourself.”

He wished he didn’t.

The healthy if not pale face of his lover didn’t look back upon him. The back of his head was supported with his hand but the features that looked up were set on a dull complexion, patches of it flaked off, some tinged grey, most of it a red that bordered on a liquid state. Eyes were lifeless as they stared up at nothing, pupils dilated, cornea streaked with vivid blood lines. Biting on his lip to keep from bursting into alarm, voice or tears escalating, Kylo gripped Hux’s arm, the skin unyielding, arm not budging from rigor mortis. Voice creaking out on a whine, Kylo slowly twisted his head, digging his fingers into the few thin pieces of hair that still hung from Hux’s head. “H-how – long…?”

“He was dead when I first brought him here,” Snoke replied, conversationally as though he wasn’t talking about a valued commander. He wasn’t, considering that he did kill him, for what means Kylo didn’t know – didn’t want to know. “I’ve been taking care of him, otherwise he’d be only liquid by this point. I know how fond of him you are after all.”

Trailing his hand down to grab Hux’s hand, sobbing at the stench that now chose to arise, feeling a nail break off in his grip, Kylo roared up to Snoke. “Why? We never did anything to betray you. We worked for you, loyally!”

“For how long? If either one of you changed your mind the other would follow in an instant. Your beloved General is my bargaining chip, to ensure you will finish our goals.” Folding his hands together, meeting Kylo’s fury benignly, he gave him an encouraging look. “That you will both do what needs to be done.”

“You killed him!” Screwing his face together, raging in his mourning, he bellowed. “There is no ‘both’!” 

“There’s been no both for the past eight months, not that you ever knew. You two carried on with business, and pleasure, not knowing otherwise.” Snoke tipped his head slowly, a small conceding point. “You didn’t.”

He wanted to wretch, stomach churning with bile. The pleasure had been there, he couldn’t deny it, and another heaving sob wrecked through him as the implication struck a nauseating nerve. “I have no reason to stay here and work for the monster who killed my – Hux!”

“But you should,” Snoke corrected, spreading his hands out slowly, taking a step back. It wasn’t to gesture to the room but to encompass all the happenings that started from the throne room, within the Citadel, or from the holo-room that once existed on the Finalizer and Starkiller. “Your happiness, your livelihood, your love, is in my hands. It’s always been. You leave, he’s going to stay dead. If you stay…”

A ragged breath came from the body held tight within his embrace. “Kylo?”

_Please_

The voice was a perfect match to the rasped question that escaped Hux’s lips. Tears dripping down his jaw landed on Hux’s face, slowly regaining its glow of vitality, paleness not withstanding. The redness of his eyes vanished back to flawless white and pupils regained their shape and livelihood, though concerned looking up to him. Hux’s hand took his, squeezing slowly. “Kylo, it’s going to be alright,” Hux soothed, leaning his head back into his hand, smiling reassuringly.

At the new angle Kylo could see the bruises around his throat. Dark ugly shapes formed by long fingers – a skeleton hand’s. His Master’s hands.

Hux brought his hand up to his cheek, stroking softly at tears and rosy skin. 

“I love you,” Hux spoke and he knew it was true. Whether it was a reanimated command, Hux’s voice and body controlled by the puppeteer Master, Kylo knew Hux loved him as much as he loved him.

Trying to gain control of his sobbing, pulling Hux back into his arms, holding him tight against his chest, Kylo chanted the words back to him, into his hair, kisses raining down to his forehead. “Yes, I know, I love you, yes, yes – I’m never going to leave you. Don’t leave me.” 

Taking his face within both hands, Hux pulled back carefully, stroking through his hair, kissing him slowly. The twisting feeling in his stomach was light, elation, distraught and panic forgotten for holding Hux in his arms. Hux smiled against his lips, murmuring. “I won’t – if you don’t.”

“I won’t,” Kylo vowed. 

_Please_

‘Please,’ Kylo pleaded back, to the spirit of the man who he held. “Please,” he repeated, this time aloud, kissing him back.


End file.
